Being Bruce -: January 2014

Friday, January 17, 2014

P90X German Potato Soup

German Potato Soup

German Potato Soup
Total Time: 30 min.
Prep Time: 8 min.
Cooking Time: 22 min.
Yield: 4 servings, 1½ cups each
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 slices turkey bacon, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 cups shredded cabbage (about ½ head)
4 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
3 medium potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. caraway seeds
½ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
4 Tbsp. nonfat plain yogurt

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in large saucepot over medium-high heat.
2. Add turkey bacon, onion, leek, carrots, and cabbage; cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 7 minutes, or until vegetables soften.
3. Add broth, potatoes, bay leaf, caraway seeds, pepper, salt, and nutmeg; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low, maintain a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
4. Place 2 cups of soup in a blender or food processor; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Blend until almost smooth.
5. Return blended soup to saucepot; mix well.
6. Serve each portion topped with 1 Tbsp. yogurt.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 237
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Sodium: 458 mg
Carbohydrate: 40 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sugar: 8 g
Protein: 7 g






P90X/P90X2 Portions
(per serving)
½ carbohydrate/legume and tuber

 

2 vegetables
1 condiment



P90X3 Portions
(per serving)
3 carbohydrates

Recipe from
Team Beachbody

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

How to Boost Your Metabolism

Which do you want first—the good news or the bad news? The bad news? You got it, glass-is-half-empty exerciser. Here it is: There is no magical way to speed up your metabolism. So all the mystical pills and potions that promise to ignite a lasting metabolic torch in your body won't pay off as advertised.

Woman about to bite a Chili Pepper

"Some people will say this food or that food speeds metabolism, or 'I saw this pill on Dr. Oz!' but that just won't happen," says Dr. Felicia Stoler, DCN, MS, RD, FACSM, author of The Healthy Way to Lose Weight and Feel Great. "But it's hard to quantify what speeds up metabolism when it comes to food because you're not eating that food by itself."

And while there are foods that have been shown to provide a metabolic jolt—like capsaicin in chili peppers and fiber-rich foods like brown rice and oatmeal—they only supply a small change and don't greatly impact weight loss individually.

Another common cop-out is to blame aging, as if your inability to pop and lock on the dance floor somehow correlates to your body's inability to efficiently burn calories.

"When you talk about metabolism slowing down as you age you're also talking about bone density, lean muscle mass, and voluntary activity slowing down," Dr. Stoler explains. "Those things change over time and with age. So it's not just 'I'm old!' and there's no accountability." Mr. P90X®, Tony Horton, is 55-years-old, so think about that the next time you use that excuse. If you're feeling creaky, the more you move, the better you'll feel.

Remember when we said there was good news? Here it is: There are things you can do to increase your metabolism. And the even, uh, gooder news—the things that can help you boost your metabolism aren't all that difficult to implement into your daily routine.


Use Resistance Training


Woman Working Out with Weights

A long-distance run burns plenty of calories and can give you an edge on Sir Bitey when that inevitable zombie apocalypse occurs and it's time to flee for your life. But, you'll want to add resistance training to your workout, too.

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Translation Medicine found that, compared to a traditional resistance training workout, using high-intensity interval resistance training (this is when you train with heavy weights for a short duration of time) increased their resting metabolic rate in the 24 hours following the workout.1

"People who only do cardio are training their muscles for endurance and burning calories, but they're not building muscle mass," Dr. Stoler says. "In terms of increasing your resting metabolic rate, you need more resistance, weight-bearing exercise."

Muscle burns more calories than fat, so putting on more muscle equates to a higher resting metabolic rate.

Keep in mind that you don't need to become an Olympic power lifter. Many cardio-based workouts, including INSANITY® or anything plyometric, contain a resistance aspect to them. Still, it's a good idea to get some good old-fashioned weight work into your program every now and then.


Eat, Eat, Eat


Fasting is the wrong way to go about jump-starting your metabolism. In fact, leaving your tank on empty for too many hours has an adverse effect since your body needs food to operate. According to Dr. Stoler, eating small, healthy meals more often revs up your metabolism by keeping your digestive system working.

"Having a healthy diet when you're eating more often keeps the furnace going without letting your energy levels deplete," she says. "It's like your furnace; it's better to run it at a steady rate instead of turning it off and then coming home and cranking it up."


Sleep, Sleep, Sleep


The later you stay up, the worse your diet gets. No, we're not stalking you; a two-week sleep study from the University of Pennsylvania found that night owls tended to feast on fattier foods, with men gaining more weight than women, and black people gaining more weight than white people.2 (Wait, when did science become so discriminatory?)

A smaller 2011 study revealed why sleep and weight gain might be connected. Researchers found that when you're sleep deprived your prefrontal cortex—the portion of your brain responsible for cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions—is also sluggish. This impedes your willpower to resist fatty foods, which makes the gelatinous blob of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) that's disguised as dessert look far more appetizing than it would have had you hit the sack at a decent hour.


Drink More


Man Drinking Water after a Run

Water, you lushes! Not only can dehydration trick you into thinking you're hungry and decrease your mental and physical abilities, studies have found that drinking as little as 16 ounces of water led to an increase in energy expenditure. You should be downing more water than that. How much, exactly? We're so glad you asked. Take your bodyweight and divide it in half, and then add the word "ounces" to the answer. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you'd aim for 75 ounces of agua per day.

Sources:

  1. High Intensity Interval Resistance Training influences resting energy expenditure and respiratory ratios in non-dieting individuals
  2. Sleep Deprived People May Crave High Calorie Foods
By Zack Zeigler, Team Beachbody Club Newsletter

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Why Shorter Workouts Work

Tony Horton and Shaun T help us break down all the benefits

Why Shorter Workouts Work

Want to get ripped—and much less likely to quit? Spend less time working out. Yes, you heard that right! Fitness legends Tony Horton and Shaun T are here to explain why shorter workouts are changing the game and why P90X3 and FOCUS T25 are the perfect programs for short-term gains and long-lasting success.

Ready for more traditional, time-consuming workouts this year? Not so fast.

Multiple-hour sweat sessions are so 2013. This year, it’s all about efficiency. Not a minute wasted. Get in, get out, and get on with the rest of your day.

It’s true; shorter, more intense workouts are all the rage. That’s because now you can slash your workout time in half—without sacrificing the results.

Intensity, not duration, that’s the key. And to prove the point, we’ve enlisted the help of two men who pretty much invented the word intensity: Tony Horton and Shaun T.

There’s never been a better time to learn about the benefits of shorter workouts. With the arrival of the FOCUS T25 Challenge Pack and the extension of the P90X3Challenge Pack in January, you can get in the best shape of your life!

Shorter is the new longer

The rise in popularity of shorter workouts is no accident. There’s science behind it.

“Studies have shown that shorter workouts can be as effective, or even better than longer workouts,” says Shaun T. “The goal is to make every second and every minute of your workout count.”

A major benefit of shorter workouts is that the most dramatic body transformations happen in the first 30 minutes of exercise. “People are more likely to train harder when the routines are shorter,” Tony Horton teaches. “For example, you’d run a 200 meter race faster than you would a 10k.”

Makes perfect sense. But how will P90X3 and FOCUS T25 do in the long run? 

Beat the burnout


The shorter time frame in programs like P90X3 and FOCUS T25 help eliminate one of the biggest problems with more conventional programs: burnout!

“Burnout happens when your body isn’t prepared to do what you’re asking of it,” cautions Tony. “It also happens when you can’t make the time to do one hour-plus workouts.” He adds, “This is one of the many reasons why we created P90X3. It’s P90X® and X2 intensity in just thirty minutes.”

FOCUS T25 is, as the name suggests, 25 minutes. And Shaun says the variety in T25 is the perfect remedy to beat workout boredom. “We constantly change the focus minute by minute so you work one part of the body and rest others,” he says. “That’s what makes it so effective. No nonsense. Just results. 25 minutes and then you’re done!”

The skinny on the new programs


So what is it exactly that separates these new programs from the pack?

“P90X3 is very unique because it combines muscle confusion from P90X, muscle integration from P90X2, and muscle acceleration in fast paced workouts,” says Tony. “It’s brutal, but still awesome.”

Shaun serves up a couple reasons why T25 may be your go-to program. “It’s a total body training program combining cardio, resistance, upper and lower body circuits, strength, and core,” he says. “We’ve effectively selected moves and sequences that are necessary to see results. No matter what your age or fitness level, you can do this.”   

The resolution solution


It’s been well documented that most people fail at their January fitness resolutions. Tony offers up some stats for us. “The average person will abandon their New Year’s resolution between February 15 and March 1,” he says. “The reason for this is that good intentions are not well planned out and become overwhelming after a while.”

That’s where P90X3 and T25 will really shine: Long-term appeal. “The variety, fun, and short duration of X3 allows the user to stay consistent from January 1 through December 31—and beyond!” exclaims Tony.

Shaun explains why T25 will keep you and your customers engaged all year long. “Do it first thing when you get up. During your lunch break. Before dinner or before bed. 25 minutes is doable and manageable. There’s no excuses, people.” You have the time, now get it done.

Detox Shakeology


Detox Shakeology
Total Time: 5 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
¾ cup water
1 cup diced watermelon
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated raw ginger root
1 scoop Tropical Strawberry Shakeology
1 cup ice cubes
Preparation:
1. Place water, watermelon, lemon juice, ginger, Shakeology, and ice in blender canister. Cover; blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 211
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 76 mg
Carbohydrate: 33 g
Fiber: 5 g
Sugar: 20 g
Protein: 16 g